NEW ORLEANS – War of Will resides in a stall just down from the tack office where David Carroll works here at Fair Grounds, and Carroll’s desk sits at an angle to where he can keep an eye on War of Will every moment.

Carroll is the top assistant here to Mark Casse, who trains War of Will, and Carroll has overseen his day-to-day training. In the months Carroll has been around War of Will, the colt’s performances and personality have made him a favorite.

“He wants to please you,” Carroll said Thursday morning. “You feel like you can’t let the horse down.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Nolo Contesto, who beat the recent graded stakes winner Omaha Beach in January, is likely to start in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on April 6, pending a workout on Saturday.

Trainer John Sadler said on Wednesday that the $1 million Santa Anita Derby is under consideration along with the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland or the Grade 2 Wood Memorial Stakes at Aqueduct, both on April 6.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Trainer D. Wayne Lukas is debating what course of action to take with Market King, who finished third behind Omaha Beach and champion Game Winner in the second division of the Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes last Saturday at Oaklawn.

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Sure, Harvey Wallbanger was terrific in his last race, but now he’s something of a forgotten horse. Enough has happened since his 29-1 upset in the Feb. 2 Holy Bull at Gulfstream Park to push him back down everyone’s Kentucky Derby lists, and now the late-running colt will have to prove himself all over again as one of the longer shots in the March 30 Florida Derby.

WHO’S HOT

NEW ORLEANS – Bill Mott knows every inch of Churchill Downs. It’s where he rose to prominence in a career that sent him to the Hall of Fame at age 45 as the youngest trainer ever inducted. It’s where, in 1986, he became the track’s winningest trainer, a position he held for 31 years until local hero Dale Romans passed him.

Country House Lookin At Lucky - Quake Lake, by War Chant

Bred in Kentucky by J.V. Shields, Jr.

Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes (second division), 1 1/16 miles, Oaklawn Park, March 16, 2019
(37.5 Derby qualifying points for a win, 15 for second, 7.5 for third, 3.75 for fourth)

Winner: Omaha Beach, by War Front
Trainer: Richard Mandella
Jockey: Mike Smith
Owner: Fox Hill Farms Inc.
Beyer Speed Figure: 96

Mucho Gusto will break from the rail in a field of 10 for the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Derby on March 24. He was installed as the 8-5 morning line favorite during a ceremonial draw of post positions Sunday at Sunland Park in New Mexico.

The Sunland Derby will reward its first four finishers with Kentucky Derby eligibility points on a sliding scale of 50-20-10-5. The 1 1/8-mile race also anchors a 12-race program at Sunland. There are seven stakes on the card worth a cumulative $1.5 million.

Grade 2, $750,000 Rebel Stakes (first division), 1 1/16 miles, Oaklawn Park, March 16, 2019
(37.5 Derby qualifying points for a win, 15 for second, 7.5 for third, 3.75 for fourth)

Winner: Long Range Toddy, Take Charge Indy
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Jon Court
Owner: Willis Horton Racing LLC
Beyer Speed Figure: 95